MSU Vadodara Faculty of Performing Arts to set up museum of rare musical instruments

Vadodara: The Faculty of Performing Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University in Vadodara is undertaking a museological documentation and restoration project for musical instruments. Under this initiative, a museum featuring approximately 60 musical instruments, including rare ones like the Kinnari veena, will be inaugurated in about a month’s time.

Led by Dean Prof. Gaurang Bhavsar, the faculty is documenting around 60 musical instruments, some of which are unique to this institution. Notably, this documentation effort marks the first of its kind in 91 years since the inception of the Music College in 1886, formerly known as Sri Baroda Indian Music School. Instruments such as Bin Sitar, Kanun, gold-foil sitar, Dilruba, four-octave Jaltarang, Rudra Veena, Saraswati-Vina brought by Maharani Chimannabai, rare artifacts from the Maharaja’s court, and Ustad Fayed Khan Sahib’s Tanpuro are among the highlights of the collection.

The ongoing documentation process involves a dedicated team, including Jaini Panchal and faculty members Nitin Parmar, Jay Shide, Hetal Arya, Fenil Soni, and instrument maker Dhaval Mistry. Future plans include securing government grants for the museum’s construction and ensuring the preservation of this cultural heritage for future generations.